EDITORS RAISE BAR ON COVERAGE OF DIVERSITY
Last week we highlighted what some newspapers did around the country to mark this year's Time Out for Diversity and Accuracy. This week, we share thoughts from editors who say they've raised the bar on coverage of diversity in their communities.

They include Andy Alderette on the Louisville Courier Journal's dynamic project "Jury Not of Their Peers"; David Cazares on the success of the race and demographics team at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Kathy Spurlock on a Spanish blog at the Monroe (La.) News-Star and Carol Hanner on the Rocky Mountain News' rich bilingual series "The Border Within."

GULF COAST NEWSPAPERS RECEIVE PRESIDENT'S AWARD, OTHER HONORS IN APME CONTESTS
The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and The Sun Herald of south Mississippi will receive President's Awards for Public Service from the Associated Press Managing Editors association for continuing to publish and provide essential information to their communities as they dealt with the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.

It is the first time a president's award has been made in APME's newspaper contests. Previously several have been awarded to AP staff.

This year's winners were selected during last week's meeting of the APME board of directors. The awards will be presented during the APME conference Oct. 25-28 in New Orleans.

APME also announced awards in the following categories, which cover three circulation categories:

Public service: Los Angeles Times, The (Toledo) Blade and the Merced Sun-Star.

First Amendment: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, The State of Columbia, S.C., and The Galveston County (Texas) Daily News.

International Perspective: The Star Tribune of Minneapolis, The News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash., and The Greeley (Colo.) Tribune.

Online Convergence: The Dallas Morning News and www.dallasnews.com, The Journal News of White Plains, N.Y., and www.lohud.com, and the Culpeper (Va.) Star Exponent and www.starexponent.com.

Details on the winners' entries, as well as those papers earning citations and honorable mentions are posted at APME.com.

AP COVERAGE OF KATRINA WINS NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
News accounts and photographs of Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast dominated awards given annually by the Associated Press Managing Editors association to AP staff.

Stories from the dozens of reporters in New Orleans and elsewhere who scrambled to report the hurricane's catastrophic aftermath were honored with the APME prize for deadline reporting. A dramatic package of Katrina images from 16 photographers was recognized with the news photography prize.

Rukmini Callimachi, assigned to New Orleans for a year to help report the recovery from Katrina's aftermath, received the Charles Rowe award for distinguished state bureau reporting for a portfolio of "sophisticated stories that break news and are beautifully written."

This year's winners were selected during last week's APME board meeting. The awards will be presented during the APME conference Oct. 25-28 in New Orleans.

SIDLO ELECTED TO APME LEADERSHIP
Steve Sidlo, managing editor of the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, has joined the leadership of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association.

A three-term member of the association's board of directors, Sidlo last week was elected vice chairman of the group's Journalism Today committees, placing him in line to be president in 2010. The election took place during the APME board's July meeting.

Sidlo, 56, served two three-year terms ending in 2001. He was elected to a third term in 2004. During that time he chaired the Nomination, Sounding Board and First Amendment committees. He organized the APME Sounding Board to give member feedback to The Associated Press and helped launch APME's Freedom of Information Roundtables project to help newspapers more effectively talk about public access issues with their communities.

SUBMIT YOUR GREAT IDEAS
The search for contributions to the 2006 APME Great Ideas booklet is under way. By contributing, you will gain exposure for your staff's best work, while helping other editors.

Each year, Lance Johnson, executive editor of The Day in New London, Conn., puts together the Great Ideas booklet, a collection of more than 200 cutting-edge content strategies from newspapers in the United States and Canada. Contributions from Europe have been received this year.

The best ideas will be included in a full-color booklet and showcased at the 2006 APME conference, Oct. 25-28, in New Orleans.

Content categories include community news, improving readership, diversity in coverage, features, global understanding, niche publications, online (must expand on print content), projects, presentation and design, reader involvement in print and online, young readers and newsroom management.

For each submission, please describe your Great Idea in no more than 300 words. More than one idea can be submitted. Please include your paper's name, contact editor, title, phone number and e-mail address.

E-mail ideas and electronic page images to:

Lance Johnson
Executive Editor
The Day
47 Eugene O'Neill Dr.
New London, CT 06320